Lady Jane Grey

Lady Jane Grey (October 12?, 1537–February 12, 1554), was a great granddaughter of Henry VII of England, and was proclaimed Queen of England for nine days in 1553. Her status as a monarch is controversial; her succession contravened an Act of Parliament, but so did the succession of several other monarchs. However, after her rule ended, her proclamation as Queen was revoked. She was also known as one of the most learned women of her day, described by the historian Alison Weir as one of “the finest female minds of the century.”

Execution

The Protestant rebellion of Sir Thomas Wyatt, in the first months of 1554, sealed Jane's fate despite the fact that she had nothing to do with it directly. The rebellion was at first a popular revolt precipitated by the imminent marriage of Mary to the Catholic Philip II of Spain. Jane's father, the Duke of Suffolk, and other nobles joined the rebellion, calling for Jane's restoration as Queen. Phillip and his councillors pressed Mary to execute Jane to put an end to any future focus for unrest. Five days after Wyatt's arrest, Jane and Guilford were executed.

Related Topics:
Sir Thomas Wyatt - 1554 - Philip II of Spain - Executed

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On the morning of February 12 1554, Guilford Dudley was dragged from his rooms at the Tower of London to the public execution place at Tower Hill, where his head was hacked from his body with a few strokes. His remains were carried back to the Tower of London in a horse cart, past the rooms where Jane was kept prisoner. Jane was then taken out into the Tower courtyard, inside the Tower of London, for a private execution. Such was reserved for royalty alone, and was done at the request of Queen Mary, in a gesture of respect for her cousin. John de Feckenham, who had been unable to convert Jane, stayed with her during the execution. Jane had been determined to go to her death with dignity, but once blindfolded, could not find the executioner's block. She had begun to panic when de Feckenham helped her find her way and retain her dignity in the end.

Related Topics:
February 12 - 1554 - Tower of London

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The "traitor-heroine of the Reformation" was only 16 years old at the time. Jane and Guilford are buried side by side in the courtyard grounds.

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